


Peeks into My Heart

by whatisreggieshortfor



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe- Tech Store, Broadway Star! Neil Perry, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Model! Charlie Dalton, Neil Perry (Dead Poets Society) Lives, Nonbinary Charlie Dalton, Poet! Todd Anderson, Suicide Attempt Reference
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:07:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29892630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatisreggieshortfor/pseuds/whatisreggieshortfor
Relationships: Steven Meeks/Gerard Pitts, Todd Anderson/Neil Perry
Comments: 7
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [undercut_by_excellence](https://archiveofourown.org/users/undercut_by_excellence/gifts).



Gerard Pitts was venting to his best friends, Todd Anderson and Neil Perry, about the guy he hated. Pitts had owned _Radio Radicals_ for a few years, and the same weekend he moved into the store, _Between the Circuits_ opened across the street. He had never seen the owner, but a guy would come and go at all hours, sometimes in the shop, and other times in the apartment above the store. He knew the guy wasn’t the owner, no one that tried that hard in their appearance owned an electronics store. That didn’t stop Pitts from not liking the guy he had deemed Pretty Boy in his head. Neil wasn’t as nearly good natured in his listening as Todd was. Todd would listen intently when Pitts vented, letting the taller boy air all his frustrations. Neil would interject that he has no reason to dislike the guy, he didn’t hurt his business at all, which was technically true. Pitts’s store was doing great, far better than his parents had expected. They had wanted him to go to Yale and become an engineer, but he preferred working with small electronics.

“I’m so freaking annoyed!” Pitts announced one day. Neil had rolled his eyes, which led to his boyfriend elbowing before turning to their friend.

“What happened?” Pitts just gestured out the door, like it was supposed to answer their questions. Todd raised an eyebrow, “I’m going to need more here.”

Neil pointed out a small sign, “It’s either the sale, or the fact that the other guy is hiring.”

“Both!” Pitts exclaimed.

“Didn’t you have a sale last week?” Neil commented, “And we’ve told you to hire help, which you can totally afford to do. You didn’t want to because you didn’t trust anyone not to rearrange your brain nightmare of an office.”

“Not helping.” Pitts grumbled where he slouched against his counter.

“Oh, the other guy just put up another sign...’Coming soon, comp cafe’? What’s a comp café?”

“It’s an internet café. You set up computers and people can pay for time to use them and buy coffee. That’s probably why he’s hiring. Maybe he needs a barista.” Neil shrugged, looking back at the play he held in his hands. “Pittsie, you know we love you. But you promised that if we came today and you weren’t busy, you’d help me run lines.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The taller boy snatched the extra copy off the counter, “What page?”


	2. Chapter 2

Steven Meeks had opened his store after his best friend encouraged him to actually follow his passion. His parents were supportive, his father helping to find a location and suppliers, but he didn’t know that another technology store was opening directly across the street. He had never met the owner, though his best friend, Charlie Dalton, swears he’s some kind of giant. Purely out of professional rivalry, Meeks doesn’t like him. He’s usually the guy that needs to meet someone two or three times before he’ll give you his impression of them. But if you asked him about the owner of _Radio Radicals_? He doesn’t like him.

“Are you sure I should be wasting money on this café idea of yours?” Meeks asked one day as Charlie was helping him set up an espresso machine.

“Listen man, people love these kinds of things. And you wouldn’t let me make an ad for you, so word of mouth about this place is the best you got.”

Meeks rolled his eyes, “I didn’t let you make an ad cause I know you’d want to model it yourself and you don’t need that kind of ego boost.”

“Excuse you!” Charlie huffed, “I am one of top demand models in the business. You would be lucky to have me.”

“I am aware. And I am very proud of you.” Charlie groaned, but they knew Meeks was serious. It had taken a lot of encouragement after they came out as nonbinary for them to still pursue their dream of being a fashion icon. And now his best friend was one of the biggest models in the country. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Absolutely. For one, you wouldn’t survive without caffeine, since you insist on completing your masters in engineering even though your campus has been shut down for a year. And for two, think of all the people that need to reprint resumes and stuff because they lost their job during the pandemic? Not to mention it’ll show the giant across the street you aren’t going anywhere.”

“I think you’re more invested in this rivalry than I am. But your other points are pretty solid. I can’t fault them.” Meeks sighed, rubbing a hand over his face to clear the sweat as the continued setting up.

A bell above the door chimed, and Charlie turned their smiling face in that direction, “Hello! Welcome to _Between the Circuits_. What can he do for you?”

Meeks sighed again, “You probably shouldn’t greet customers if you aren’t gonna help them.” He muttered under his breath, walking over to the girl that had come in, “Hello.”

“Uh, hi. I’m Ginny. I came in to apply for the job?”

“Do you have any experience as a barista?”

“Not exactly, but I’m a quick learner! I just need a chance, please.”

“Here, let me grab you an application. If I can find someone with experience to train you, I could hire you for half the shifts.”

“I’ll do anything!” Ginny smiled, hopeful, “I really need to earn some money while I get my acting career off the ground.”

Charlie grinned, “You should contact a man named Neil Perry. He’s an old friend of mine, does work with most of the playhouses in the state.”

“Oh, I know Neil! I’m actually performing with him in a few weeks.”

“He’s in town??” Charlie hollered, Meeks winced at the sound as he handed Ginny the sheet of paper. She smiled gratefully, filling it on the spot as she told Charlie and Meeks about the play. When she left, Meeks looked at Charlie.

“Neil is the guy you always talked about when we met, isn’t it? The one you kept in contact with but were afraid to meet up with after you came out to me?”

“Yeah.” Charlie nodded, pushing their hair out of their face.

“Maybe it’s time you reach out.”

“Eh, Neil has Todd now.” Charlie shrugged, “He doesn’t need someone broken from his past showing up.”

“You aren’t broken, Charlie.” Meeks brows furrowed, Charlie was the confident person he knew. “Neil is lucky to have you in his life, not the other way around. Just like I’m lucky to have you in my life. If we hadn’t met freshman year of high school when you needed a tutor, could you imagine how lost I’d be?”

Charlie huffed a laugh, shoving Meeks shoulder a little, “Yeah, yeah. And I would’ve failed Latin and trig, so we both gotten something out of this friendship.”

“Yeah,” he rolled his eyes, “You passed two classes and I have someone that doesn’t let me bail on anything and hasn’t for ten fucking years.”

Charlie grinned, “Damn straight. Now, bar tonight. Be there at eight. I’ll invite Neil.”

“You know I’ll be there.”


	3. Chapter 3

When Meeks got to the bar, Charlie was nowhere to be seen. He took a seat at the bar, sending his friend a text to show up in ten minutes or he was going home. Not a minute after he sat down, he felt a body take the seat next to him. “You’re too cute to be here alone.” The voice attached said, and Meeks tried to lean away as the man moved into his space.

“I’m just waiting for someone.” He called over the music playing, silently hoping the guy would leave. But he didn’t take the hint.

“Aw, come on, no need to be like that.” The man placed his hand on Meeks’s thigh, “Let me show you a good time.”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Suddenly, an arm landed on Meeks’s shoulders.

“There you are!” A new voice said, “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Excuse me, we were in the middle of something.” The man beside him glared.

“And I heard my friend here tell you no, so please leave so we can get to the date we had planned.” Meeks glanced up at the guy that save him as the other man grumbled and slinked away. He was tall, probably a good head taller than Meeks was, and he settled into the newly empty seat, “Sorry, I’ll leave when your date gets here. I just don’t want that guy to bother you again.”

“Uhm, two things, first of all, thank you. Like really, he was very clearly drunk and very handsy and I didn’t know how to get out of that.” Meeks huffed a laugh, “But also, secondly, I’m not waiting on a date. My best friend just loves this bar and they are running late.”

“Excuse me if I’m being forward then, but are you seeing anyone?” The taller boy smiled, but Meeks could see the nervousness in it.

“As a matter of fact, I’m not.” He grinned up at the other. The lights in the bar weren’t great, but the guy was definitely attractive. He had a sharp jaw line and buzzed brown hair and bright eyes that Meeks wanted to drown in. And when the boy let a real smile cross his face at Steven’s words, it was wide and happy and he couldn’t get enough of it. Meeks didn’t want it to go away, “So, can I buy you a drink? For saving me?”

The boy laughed, “Sure, I’ll have whatever you’re having.” Meeks grinned before flagging down the bartender and requesting two ole fashioned’s. “Fancy drink.” The boy smirked, “Pitts, by the way. Friends sometimes call me Pittsie.”

“Unfortunate name, man. But I’m Meeks.” He smiled back.

It ended up being roughly two hours, and five drinks, before Charlie finally answered Meeks’s text, purely calling to let him know that they ran into Neil at a job and Neil had taken them to a different bar across the city with Todd, but they were in their way now. Meeks had sighed, but he couldn’t say he was too upset about his friend bailing on him. He’d been enjoying the time with Pitts. “Everything okay?” The tall boy asked as he got off the phone.

“Yeah, remember how I said my friend was meeting me here?” He nodded, “Well, they were bringing an old friend of theirs with them, ran into him earlier today and he took them and his boyfriend to a bar across the city. They are on their way now.”

“Ah, well I can get out of your hair if-“

“No!” Meeks said quickly, too quickly. He could feel his cheeks burning as he swiftly averted his eyes, “I mean, you can stay. If-if you want to. My best friend is the only one I know coming, and since their friend is bringing his boyfriend, they’ll probably try to hit on whoever they can anyway.”

“Well, they aren’t gonna have much luck hitting on me.” Pitts laughed, “I kind of have my eye on someone.” He added with a wink, Meeks knew his blush deepened but he didn’t care.

When Charlie came bursting through the door of the crowded bar, their eyes immediately sought out the head of curly red hair they were so familiar with. “Meeksie!” They called out, “Nuwanda has arrived, the party can begin.”

Neil shook his head with a fond smile, arm wrapped firmly around Todd’s waist as he ushered him to follow his childhood friend.

Charlie saw the glasses clad face of their best friend turn toward them, a blush high on his cheeks, “Hey Charlie! This is Pitts.”

“Wait a sec, I know you.” The taller man said, stunned, “I’ve been calling you Pretty Boy in my head for like four years.” When he realized he said that out loud, Pitts’s jaw shut hard, his teeth clacking. Neil immediately fell into a fit of laughter.

“Oh my god, it’s Giant!” Charlie looked offended, “Don’t call me a boy. It’s not accurate and that’s rude.” Meeks was stuck glancing back and forth between them.

“Can someone fill me in?”


	4. Chapter 4

Pitts and Charlie were still staring at each other, horrified, but Todd took pity on Meeks. “Pitts has taken to calling this person that goes in and out of the store across from his Pretty Boy.”

“Ugh,” Pitts groaned, “That store is the bane of my existence.”

“Why?” Meeks asked, silently wondering how many stores Charlie just wandered in and out of every day.

“It opened the same time I did. Which isn’t a reason to hate them. But I still do. Competitive spirit, or whatever you wanna call it, they think they’re better than me and it pisses me off.”

Charlie’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and Meeks felt kind of sick, “What’s it called?” Charlie bit out.

“Between the Circuits.” Pitts answered with an eye roll.

Meeks set his glass down with more force than entirely necessary, “Well, I’m gonna head home. Charlie, let me know you make it back to your place, okay?”

Pitts’s brows furrowed, “Wait, Meeks, what-“

“No.” Meeks snapped, “Do not talk to me.” He pushed through the crowd before Charlie could even reply, causing Neil’s laughter to abruptly subside. “Uh, Charlie?” Charlie grunted in reply so Neil continued, “Your friend seemed upset.”

“Well yeah, Giant here was bad mouthing his store.” Charlie glared, fists shoved deep into their pockets, “From the look on his face when I walked in, he was having a good time. But Meeks is- never mind. Just leave him alone.” Charlie turned away without another word, chasing after their best friend.

Pitts was left reeling. Neil and Todd didn’t look any less shocked than he felt, staring after Charlie. “What the hell was that?” Pitts finally asked.

“Clearly Meeks owns the store across from yours.” Neil mused, “And you were kind of a dick about it.”

“I had assumed that if I ever met the owner, he’d be an ass and I would hate him.”

“And you didn’t?” Todd asked curiously.

“No, we- we were having a really good time. I think he might’ve actually been into me. Me, of all people.” Pitts sighed, “I was just here for a drink, and some guy started getting handsy with him so I stepped in and then we got to talking. He’s really kind of awesome.”

“You’re an idiot.” Neil quipped. “I mean, complaining to us about a guy you never met is one thing, but to say stuff like that to people you don’t know, especially when Charlie was the person you kept seeing, that was a huge gamble.”

“Clearly.” Pitts commented dryly. He pulled out his wallet, throwing money on the counter for the drinks they’d had. Neil and Todd didn’t question him, just turned and followed him out the door.

When Charlie caught up to Meeks, he was nearly at the storefront. “Meeks,” they wheezed, having ran, “I didn’t realize you walk so fucking fast.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have gone out tonight.” Meeks grumbled, sitting with his back against the front of his store. “First time I actually like a guy in how fucking long?”

Charlie sat next to him, doing the math, “Like eight years?” Meeks blinked, looking at his friend, tears were prickling his eyes and it pissed Charlie off. “Do you want me to go back and kick his ass? Cause I will.”

“No.” Meeks sat flatly, his shoulders deflated and he brought his knees up to his chest. “I feel dumb. You were always into this rivalry more than I was, but he thinks that we think we’re better than him?”

Charlie shook their head, “He clearly didn’t know who he was talking about. It took me like three years to convince you that you were good enough to do something like this.”

Meeks sighed, “Sometimes I just wonder if things-“

“Don’t you dare finish that thought.” Charlie stated sternly. “Things would not be better if you didn’t. Things would not be better if you weren’t here. You are literally the only good thing in my life, and I will not let some asshole with a superiority complex make you think otherwise.”

Meeks gave his best friend a weak smile, “Thanks, Charlie. Let’s head upstairs and get to bed, if you don’t mind. I’m exhausted.”

“I always knew you wanted to get me into bed Meeksie.” Charlie winked, Meeks gave them a laugh, playing shoving them before unlocking the door and heading upstairs to his apartment.


End file.
